Jakobus 2:14

14 Wat nuttigheid is het, mijn broeders, indien iemand zegt, dat hij het geloof heeft, en hij heeft de werken niet? Kan dat geloof hem zaligmaken?

Jakobus 2:14 Meaning and Commentary

James 2:14

What doth it profit, my brethren
The apostle having finished his discourse on respect of persons, and the arguments he used to dissuade from it, by an easy transition passes to treat upon faith and works, showing that faith without works, particularly without works of mercy, is of no profit and advantage:

though a man say he hath faith, and have not works?
it is clear that the apostle is not speaking of true faith, for that, in persons capable of performing them, is not without works; it is an operative grace; it works by love and kindness, both to Christ, and to his members; but of a profession of faith, a mere historical one, by which a man, at most, assents to the truth of things, as even devils do, ( James 2:19 ) and only says he has faith, but has it not; as Simon Magus, who said he believed, but did not.

Can faith save him?
such a faith as this, a faith without works, an historical one, a mere profession of faith, which lies only in words, and has no deeds, to show the truth and genuineness of it. True faith indeed has no causal influence on salvation, or has any virtue and efficacy in itself to save; Christ, object of faith, is the only cause and author of salvation; faith is only that grace which receives a justifying righteousness, the pardon of sin, adoption, and a right to the heavenly inheritance; but it does not justify, nor pardon, nor adopt, nor give the right to the inheritance, but lays hold on, and claims these, by virtue of the gift of grace; and it has spiritual and eternal salvation inseparably connected with it; but as for the other faith, a man may have it, and be in the gall of bitterness, and bond of iniquity; he may have all faith in that sense, and be nothing; it is no other than the devils themselves have; and so he may have it, and be damned.

Jakobus 2:14 In-Context

12 Spreekt alzo, en doet alzo, als die door de wet der vrijheid zult geoordeeld worden.

13 Want een onbarmhartig oordeel zal gaan over dengene, die geen barmhartigheid gedaan heeft; en de barmhartigheid roemt tegen het oordeel.

14 Wat nuttigheid is het, mijn broeders, indien iemand zegt, dat hij het geloof heeft, en hij heeft de werken niet? Kan dat geloof hem zaligmaken?

15 Indien er nu een broeder of zuster naakt zouden zijn, en gebrek zouden hebben aan dagelijks voedsel;

16 En iemand van u tot hen zou zeggen: Gaat henen in vrede, wordt warm, en wordt verzadigd; en gijlieden zoudt hun niet geven de nooddruftigheden des lichaams, wat nuttigheid is dat?